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Symphony of Suramar
The Symphony of Suramar was a conflict between surviving houses of the shal'dorei following the overthrow of Elisande. Representing blood elf interests abroad, the Dominion of the Sun sought to gain influence in Suramar by supporting the House of Devereux as a major component of the new regime under First Arcanist Thalyssra. Countering this effort, the Highguard and their allies threw their support to the contending House of Nor'theldran. Both houses soon found themselves embroiled in a political struggle which inevitably led to violence. The Inarthis Affair As the House of Devereux and House of Nor'theldran found themselves at odds for the future of Suramar, both sought to gain leverage by securing an alliance with the neutral House of Inarthis. To accomplish this goal, both houses sent representatives to a party hosted by Lord Inarthis at his estate. During the event, representatives sought to gain Lord Inarthis's favor through petty means, playing on Lord Inarthis's inherent narcissism. As fate would have it, the representatives of Devereux managed to sway him over, and by the end of the night a formal arrangement was underway. Shortly after the party at the Inarthis Estate, a letter addressed to Lady Seralyne Devereux laid out the proposal in no unclear terms - Lord Inarthis had every intention to marry off his son to one of Lady Devereux's daughters. While his motivations remained hidden, it was decidedly wise for Lady Devereux to accept such terms to ensure their loyalty. So was it that plans for a magnificent wedding between Lord Inarthis's son and Lady Devereux's daughter were made. It was not long before word of this unholy matrimony reached the prying ears of House Nor'theldran's agents. The Effloresce of Eonar With the wedding quickly approaching, it became abundantly clear that the marriage between House Inarthis and House Devereux would never come to fruition unless the soon-to-be-weds possessed true love. Alchemists of House Devereux determined that a rare flower, said to bloom every thousand years, would blossom in the sacred Grove of Cenarius. Serendipitous as it may seem, agents of House Devereux were dispatched to retrieve the flower for use in the creation of an infatuation potion. Agents of Nor'theldran sought to balk these efforts, launching an ambush on Devereux agents at the grove. Devereux agents were subsequently thwarted and forced to retreat. The flower had fallen into the hands of the Nor'theldran, and was given over to the druids of Lor'lathil, hindering the effort to provide fertile ground for the soon-to-be-weds' new relationship. The marriage of the houses was uncertain, but plans for the wedding were not ceased. The White Wedding Massacre At the night of the wedding, Lady Aeriyth Dawnsorrow led a force of Highguard and Nor'theldran soldiers to the Inarthis Estate. Soldiers of House Devereux alongside the attending Knights of the Sun under Lord Tendael Dawnlight II engaged with the assailants as the wedding commenced. Despite a number of casualties on both sides, the contention outside the estate came to a conclusion. The forces of House Devereux, supported by the forces of House Inarthis, drove off the Nor'theldran assailants. Meanwhile, at the pavilion, the marriage was made official, sealing the alliance of the two houses. Skirmish on the Coast, the Vanquishing of Fafnir As tensions in Suramar grew higher, more shal'dorei agents were sent to various locations on the Broken Isles to secure capital to fund the campaign. One such expedition, under the direction of Nor'theldran's lord, sought to reap the treasure of a capsized ship on the Eye of Azshara. Devereux agents arrived at the site moments later, resulting in a small skirmish between the two opposing forces. The skirmish ended with Nor'theldran as the victor, and consequently, the spoils of their expedition were secured and brought back to Suramar. On a separate expedition, Devereux forces hunted a great wyrm of Stormheim known as Fafnir for his precious scales. As they arrived at Fafnir's roost, Nor'theldran agents sprung an ambush, forcing Devereux to retreat. Fafnir was then slain by Nor'theldran soon afterwards. Battle Under the Bridge In Suramar, the Devereux-Inarthis alliance assembled their forces and marched across the city to retaliate against Nor'theldran for their aggressions. The army became vulnerable as they marched under the Grand Promenade, exactly as Nor'theldran anticipated. The forces of Nor'theldran with their high elf cohorts attacked Devereux and Inarthis forces under the bridge, but were ultimately unable to halt their advance. Beaten and scattered, Nor'theldran retreated to the trade district. The Stonedark Tournament On the opposite side of the Broken Isles, the Stonedark Drogbar hosted a tournament in their clan's grotto, extending an invitation to all races of Azeroth who honored their code of conduct. Among the attendants of this tournament were Devereux and Nor'theldran agents who participated in several strange competitions. The victor of the tournament, a champion of the Alliance, received a precious trophy that would later be used as a negotiation piece between Nor'theldran and Inarthis. The Fall of House Nor'theldran Just moments before the attack on House Nor'theldran, a Lord Inarthis withdrew his support for the campaign, decrying the violence that had ensued from the alliance with Devereux. Lord Inarthis urged the blood elves to stay their hand as well, but Lord Dawnlight dissented, stating it was far too late for reconciliation. Lord Dawnlight himself was quoted to have said, "Cowardice dwells in the hearts of Inarthis, but not we. Tonight the House of Nor'theldran will fall, and their puppetmasters with them. An eye for an eye. Burn everything in sight." The battle was concluded by the end of the night. Dozens, possibly hundreds of elven corpses were strewn about the streets of Suramar's trade district. The great house that was once Nor'theldran had been consumed by the flames of sin'dorei magi, left to nothing but ashes. Among the casualties, none other than Lord Elon Nor'theldran himself. His body, impaled with a dozen or more arrows, lay face-forward as a testament to the courage shown in his final stand. Aftermath The attack was widely condemned by the rest of Suramar, especially by Lord Inarthis. Although Lord Nor'theldran had been slain, his heir would gain a swelling of sympathy from the vast majority of the shal'dorei. Lady Devereux would be seen as a warmonger in the eyes of Suramar, undermining her bid for power and influence in a city already wracked by civil war. The remnants of House Nor'theldran and House Inarthis would later reconcile, granting the Alliance a favorable position for years to come. Category:Story